🇿🇦Cost of Living in Durban

South Africa · Population: 3,500,000 · Cost Index: 30/100

Cost of Living in Durban

South Africa · Africa

South Africa's third-largest city and busiest port, Durban sits along the warm Indian Ocean coastline of KwaZulu-Natal. Known for its subtropical climate, golden beaches, and rich Indian cultural heritage, it offers a more affordable lifestyle than Cape Town or Johannesburg.

3,500,000

Population

Cost Index

Safety Index

Quality of Life

Average Monthly Cost: $1,050 (single person, excluding rent)

Estimated monthly budget in Durban

Typical total monthly cost by household type.

Single person

$1,050

per month

Couple

$1,580

per month

Family of 4

$2,210

per month

Student

$790

per month

Estimates based on the average cost of living in Durban, scaled by household size. Actual costs vary with lifestyle, neighbourhood and housing.

Cost Breakdown

Housing

Avg: $525.00

1-Bedroom Apartment (City Center)(per month)

$420.00

1-Bedroom Apartment (Outside Center)(per month)

$280.00

3-Bedroom Apartment (City Center)(per month)

$850.00

3-Bedroom Apartment (Outside Center)(per month)

$550.00

Food & Groceries

Avg: $4.39

Meal at Inexpensive Restaurant(per meal)

$4.50

Meal for 2 at Mid-Range Restaurant(per meal)

$24.00

McMeal at McDonald's(per meal)

$4.50

Milk (1 liter)(per liter)

$0.90

Bread (500g loaf)(per loaf)

$0.80

Rice (1 kg)(per kg)

$1.00

Eggs (12)(per dozen)

$2.00

Chicken Breast (1 kg)(per kg)

$4.00

Apples (1 kg)(per kg)

$1.30

Banana (1 kg)(per kg)

$0.90

Transportation

Avg: $7.66

Monthly Public Transit Pass(per month)

$35.00

One-Way Ticket (Local Transport)(per trip)

$0.65

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)(base fare)

$0.85

Taxi 1km (Normal Tariff)(per km)

$0.60

Gasoline (1 liter)(per liter)

$1.20

Utilities

Avg: $42.33

Basic Utilities (85m² Apt)(per month)

$80.00

Mobile Phone Plan(per month)

$17.00

Internet (60 Mbps+)(per month)

$30.00

Healthcare

Avg: $21.00

Doctor Visit(per visit)

$30.00

Dentist Visit(per visit)

$25.00

Prescription Medicine (avg)(per prescription)

$8.00

Entertainment

Avg: $8.53

Fitness Club Monthly(per month)

$25.00

Cinema Ticket(per ticket)

$5.00

Cappuccino(per cup)

$1.90

Beer (0.5l) at Restaurant(per glass)

$2.20

Clothing

Avg: $43.67

Pair of Jeans (Levi's)(per pair)

$42.00

Summer Dress (Chain Store)(per item)

$24.00

Running Shoes (Nike, Adidas)(per pair)

$65.00

Popular Durban comparisons

Durban vs Johannesburg Durban vs Cape Town Durban vs Pretoria Durban vs New York Durban vs London Durban vs Tokyo Durban vs Singapore Durban vs Dubai

Frequently asked questions about Durban

Is Durban expensive to live in?

Durban has a cost of living index of 30 out of 100, where New York City scores 100. This makes it one of the more affordable cities we track.

How much money do you need to live in Durban?

A single person needs an estimated $1,050 per month to live in Durban, covering rent, food, transport and other essentials. A family or a more comfortable lifestyle will cost more.

What is the cost of living index in Durban?

Durban's cost of living index is 30 out of 100. The index is relative to New York City (100), so a score of 50 means overall costs are roughly half those of New York.

What is quality of life like in Durban?

Durban scores 46 out of 100 for quality of life and 33 out of 100 for safety in our index.

Data & sources

As an independent cross-check, the World Bank puts the overall price level in South Africa at 42 relative to the United States (=100) in 2024. View source

Cost figures on this site are independent estimates, cross-referenced with public data sources including World Bank, Numbeo, Eurostat, OECD.